Sunny - Mona Lisa Eclipsing

Dontaine’s gaze met Amber’s. “Like you, Lord Amber, my place is beside our lady.”

Amber’s eyes rested last on Chami, standing beside Thaddeus.

“Nope, I’m just the driver,” Chami said to the silent question in Amber’s eyes. “I’ll be staying behind, watching over everything.”

“Ah. The new master at arms?”

“That would be Tomas,” said Chami.

Amber made a sound of approval. “A good choice.”

Chami grinned. “My sole charge will be to keep an eye on our new young master here, Lord Thaddeus.”

Thaddeus blushed and made a face. “Don’t call me that.”

“It will be your title,” I said without sympathy. “Get used to it.” It had been part of my agreement with the Queen Mother, after speaking with my brother. That Thaddeus would rule over the Louisiana territory in my place, and Amber’s as well, which would recombine back into the single original territory. It had been a shock to the Queen Mother, learning that a male could draw down the moon’s rays and Bask. But a small shock, quickly absorbed, among all the other jarring changes about to occur.

“Until she can find a replacement,” Thaddeus said now in clarification. “Then I can join you guys.”

“Not allowed until things settle down and stabilize,” I said firmly. That had been the one thing we had argued most about. “We’re about to shake up the world, Thaddeus. It will be dangerous enough coming out as the first male able to Bask. First let the Monères get used to you, then we’ll consider the rest of the world.”

“How long do you think it’ll take for things to settle down?” my brother asked wistfully.

“I don’t know. A year at the earliest, if we’re lucky. Heck, we might stumble at the first step—getting legal rights for the Monère people—and come crawling back here before you know it.”

“Won’t happen. You won’t fail,” Thaddeus said with the blithe assurance of youth.

“I pray not,” was my soft reply. Gathering our luggage, we made our way down to the terminal for private jets.

I was taking Hannah and Dontaine away—a healer and my master at arms—but I wasn’t leaving Thaddeus wholly bereft. My brother had some healing ability himself, his control of that useful talent coming along rather nicely after training under Hannah over the past months. Steady, faithful Tomas would be taking up Dontaine’s mantle, a good responsibility for the older warrior who had been underutilized, really. I’d had an abundance of older, powerful Monère males—some of them had been rogues, in fact, like Aquila—who would continue overseeing the business side of things. Rosemary would capably continue in her role as chatelaine, with her Mixed Blood children staying safely here with her. Jamie had wanted to come, but as with Thaddeus, I had deemed it too dangerous at this initial stage. The strong pull of Wiley, the young and wild Mixed Blood boy Tersa had taken responsibility for, kept her anchored safely at home.

Last, but not least, there was Chami, my very talented, deadly chameleon. I trusted Chami to keep my brother safe. I knew that he, Aquila, and Tomas would guard Thaddeus with their lives—he was as precious to them as to me. Their unique hope.

The Queen Mother and Lord Thorane were already aboard the private jet, waiting for us. We knelt in the aisle and entryway in respectful genuflection.

“Rise,” said the Queen Mother, her presence as commanding in the small airplane as if she had been seated on her throne. “Ah, a wise selection,” she noted astutely, taking a quick inventory of my people.

“And very fortunate, on my part,” I said, “that they are willing to venture forth in this matter with me. The Morells are already quite familiar with human society, as is Dontaine, my master at arms, who supervised most of the businesses in New Orleans under his former Queen’s rule. And Amber—”

“As a Warrior Lord, is the perfect male to beckon forth frightened, disenfranchised rogues out of hiding, serving as the ultimate example of what they could be.” The Queen Mother’s eyes glinted with approval.

“So we hope. Amber has agreed to relinquish his current territory to head up the new District Court we hope to form.”

“I do not know if that serves as an advancement or regression in status, Lord Amber,” the Queen Mother said with a small nod.

“Advancement, most certainly, Queen Mother,” Amber replied, bowing his head low. “I wish to thank you on behalf of all the lost warriors out there for the opportunity to serve you in this extraordinary way—for the blanket pardon you are willing to issue them.”

“It is a matter clearly close to your heart,” she said with kind observance, “but do not thank me yet. It is good that you believe so fervently in this cause. Hold on to it tightly. It will sustain you during the hard road ahead as you carve this new path for us. Though we will not be visible, be assured that you have my gratitude and High Court’s full support in this matter, as much as we can render.” Her voice grew dry as she glanced at me. “Though I do wish you hadn’t made us go through all the trouble of dividing your territory into two parts, only to recombine them once again, a few months later. Try and plan better in the future.”

“Yes, Queen Mother,” I said meekly.

“Chameleo,” the Queen Mother said, addressing Chami by his full name.

Chami paled beneath the Queen Mother’s scrutiny and gave a courtly bow. “At your service, Queen Mother.”

“That was my next question, in fact—who will you be serving? Do you stay or do you go?”

“I will be staying with young master Thaddeus, honorable Queen Mother.”

“Ah,” she said. “A good choice.”

Her glance fell on my brother, and I took the opportunity to introduce them. “Queen Mother, Lord Thorane, I would like to present to you my brother, Thaddeus Schiffer.”

Thaddeus bowed, imitating Chami’s courtly gesture. It came out endearingly clumsy.

“An honor and pleasure to meet you, Queen Mother, Lord Thorane,” Thaddeus murmured.

“Everyone please have a seat,” the Queen Mother said. She gestured Thaddeus to the chair across from her; Lord Thorane, the only one she had brought for this secure and private conversation, remained standing behind her. As a courtesy, the rest of us took seats near the front of the cabin where Lord Thorane could easily see all of us.

“I am glad we are able to meet, rushed though our time must be,” the Queen Mother said graciously to Thaddeus. “Pray tell me, now, in your own words, how you came to discover your ability to Bask.”

She listened intently while Thaddeus awkwardly recited the past events. His first experience with Basking had been when outlaw rogues had snatched me to replace the Queen I had freed from their enslavement. I had drawn down the moon’s rays.

Surrounded by Monères, feeling the tug himself, Thaddeus had instinctively pulled down the moonlight as well, to the amazement of us all.

“You shared this light with others?” the Queen Mother asked.

“Yes, with the rogues who were standing nearest me,” Thaddeus answered.

“It was witnessed by Mona Lisa, Lord Amber, and myself,” Chami confirmed, “along with six others.”

“Have you Basked since that time?” she asked.

“No, milady. At that time, we decided it would be safest if I hid that ability. I got the impression that the other Queens wouldn’t be happy to learn a male was able to do what, up till now, had solely been a Queen’s gift.”

“And now?”

“Now,” Thaddeus said, grinning widely, “it’ll be only a small shock compared to what Mona Lisa, Amber, and the others here will be unleashing on everyone shortly.”