Ren was grateful that Ellie spoke with such frankness. “Did he really transform you without your permission?”
She nodded. “That’s when I took a sword to him.”
What would Ren do if Munro turned the ring from halfway around the world? Or worse, if he did it while looking her in the eye?
“But then Leo ended up saving the lives of just about my entire family, so I forgave him.”
Could Ren forgive Munro in the same situation? “Did your transformation hurt?”
“Nope. In the blink of an eye, I went from human to vampirEllie. I was super tee-ohed at first, but when I figured out my new abilities—like teleporting and being strong as all get out—I loved it.”
Supernatural strength was one of the traits Ren most envied in Loreans. “I suspect Munro planned for us to talk about this very subject tonight. He wants me tempted by the possibility of eternal life.”
“Are you?”
If Ren became a Lykae, she would never age or suffer sickness. She could regenerate from injuries and challenge evil immortals with ease. “Maybe? If there was an alternative to Dorada, I’d consider it.”
Ellie sipped her drink. “Do you love Munro?”
Ren hesitated. “I would if he accepted that the decision to become a Lorean must be mine.” As she’d told him: she wanted to live on her own terms.
“I can see why you’re leery about everything. Is he putting a lot of pressure on you?”
“Yes,” she admitted. “And turning my species is not something I want to get bullied into.”
Ellie raised her glass. “Sing it, sister!”
“Much less that he’s willing to give an open-ended vow to the Queen of Evil for the privilege.” One more soldier in Dorada’s army of debtors?
Ellie’s face fell. “We’re hearing some disturbing rumors, Kereny. When Leo bargained with an immortal, they would be mad as a hornet that they owed him, but in the end, they got what they wanted. Rumor has it that no one is getting what they want with Dorada. More like twisted versions of their wishes.”
As if Ren needed another reason to vanquish the sorceress.
“When Balery gets here, she can roll the bones for you and see what your future holds.”
“I’d really appreciate it.” To have her fortune told by someone who could actually see the future would be a novel experience. “And please call me Ren.” She was hitting it off with a vampire!
“I knew I was gonna like you! Cheers, Ren!” Ellie traced over so they could clink glasses. “How do you think the guys are doing? I mean, what would they even have to talk about? I’d love to be a fly on the wall. . . .”
FIFTY
“Shall we disembowel the pachyderm in the room?” Lothaire intoned as he took a seat in the billiards den. “Or discuss it? Or whatever one does when an elephant appears indoors.” He sipped his glass of blood mead.
“Come again?” Munro sat across from the king and took a swig of whiskey. He was antsy to separate from Kereny, and Lothaire’s all-seeing demeanor kept him on edge. “Elephant?”
“The fact that you also came here to help Kristoff with his”—Lothaire made air quotes—“‘escape.’”
Even if Munro hadn’t been warned not to lie to Lothaire, he didn’t see the point of it. The vampire was too clever. “Aye. We can talk about that.”
When a mangy-looking dog strutted into the room to sit beside Lothaire, he absently petted it. “Lachlain sent you here on a mission, no? Those Forbearers have become strong allies to the Lykae. Your king would want to reward them by rescuing Kristoff.” Exactly what Lachlain had told him.
Munro figured an ambassador ought to distance his king and preserve the relationship between the two rulers. After all, an ambassador could be replaced. “The Forbearers believe you keep Kristoff here as a prisoner; I wanted to check for myself.”
“Did you see any chains on him?”
“Mayhap your fey magic tinkerer bound his teleportation?”
“He’s here by choice,” Lothaire said. “As I’m unable to lie, you know that’s the truth. But feel free to ask him.”
“I’ll do that.”
“Undertaking such a rescue mission with your female in tow is a risk,” Lothaire observed. “I stowed mine whenever I went to the office. And by to the office, I mean off killing. But she ended up tagging along with me once. Her mortal mind broke when she saw monsters from the Lore for the first time. More specifically, when she saw monsters other than myself.”
“Broke?”
“She went catatonic. Humans do that, you know. In just the last year, Lizvetta was the second case I have personal knowledge of. We were fortunate she pulled through. Once broken, some things can’t be fixed.”
What if Kereny came through her physical change to another species without a hitch, but then went catatonic? Over their days in the Cursed Forest, she’d told him that the universe spoke to anyone who listened. Had the universe just waved its arms over its head, warning Munro?