Underworld Queen (28 page)

“That you do,” Jonas said as his hands found their way quickly up Audray’s back underneath her shirt. They slid around the front and massaged her breasts. “When I get you to the human world, I won’t let you wear any clothes. You’ll have to stay naked, in my bed, twenty-four seven.”

She smiled, blushing. Her excitement at the prospect sent a ripple throughout her body, an electric current arcing between her nether lips. “I’d rather stay home here with you in our bed and skip this meeting.” She kissed him, accepting his tongue, enjoying the heat between them.

When they parted after the long sensuous kiss, Jonas whispered, “This isn’t home. And it won’t even be a place we visit soon if I have anything to do with it.”

Jonas led her to the shower and opened the door.

“Try it now, in here,” he instructed.

“I have to have something to vaporize.”

Jonas picked up a large mottled sponge beside the tub. “Try this.”

He placed it on the marble slab shower floor and backed up. Audray stepped forward, holding the glass door with one hand. She held out her other hand like she was going to bounce a tennis ball and released the fire she’d learned to throw. A spattering and hissing sound echoed throughout the bathroom as sparks and tiny flames ricocheted around the shower enclosure, leaving little circles of grey on the glass. Smoke from the half-burned sponge poured up toward the ceiling in dark tendrils.

Audray put her other hand over her mouth and nose to block inhaling the smoke. Then she repeated calling forth the flames. This time there was nothing but a searing pain which overtook the underside of her hand like she’d set it down on a red-hot stovetop. She drew back and looked at the red blistering underside of her fingertips and palm.

Jonas was quick to run cold water over it, but the pain was close to unbearable. Tears streamed down her face as she leaned into Jonas’ bulging biceps. He firmly held her wrist under the stream of water at the vanity, allowing the cool liquid to flow over her injured fingers. “What are we going to do? I have no powers left,” she sobbed into his powerful arm.

“No, love. You have a little bit of power in your left hand. But only once. You should only do it once. You have to hit something vital to make the statement.”

She nodded. He dried her hand gently and then kissed it.

“It should start to heal right away. Be good in an hour,” he said.

Audray noticed the pain had already started to subside. “I don’t want them to know.”

Jonas was swiping away the grey smoke with a towel and didn’t answer her.

“So, how long do you think my power will be off?”

He chuckled. “You mean like you didn’t pay your bill?”

“Stop it. This isn’t funny, Jonas. I’m serious.”

“Only thing this changes is you can’t indiscriminately fry people. The new you will have compassion.” Jonas grinned. “You’re the Director after all, and my Queen. You’ll play the part of a lady.”

Audray thought this was funny. If only some of her past enemies could see her now. Playing a lady. How absurd.

“There’s my girl,” he said, looking at her smile. He leaned over, planting a kiss on her needy lips. “And I love that now I have to be careful not to hurt you. And you can’t hurt me back.” He smirked and she stepped on his foot.

The council meeting
was held in a large auditorium built for pageants and theatrical productions.
How fitting.
The drama of the day had taken its toll, though. Audray threw up twice before they could leave the house.
If I have to hurl, let me hurl against that bitch Catarina’s face or all over Rupert.
Jonas once again whispered in her ear, “Careful of the temper, love.”

They entered the hall followed by four of Jonas’ finest warriors.

The room was barely populated. A handful of Rupert’s guards, including four large black winged angels stood at the back of the room with their arms crossed. Audray thought they looked like a bunch of crows waiting on a telephone pole wire.

Their eyes were half closed, squinting, as if making a point of showing their dislike for the pair.

I feel false bravado. I feel their fear.
Jonas nodded his head in agreement.

She turned to one of Jonas’ men.

“Get these animals out of here.” She pointed to the winged angels who fluttered nervously. There was no objection to them being led out of the room. Jonas’ men returned.

The lingering smell of the winged ones was like burned candy. Audray whisked away the pungent odor with her hand waving in the air. She paraded herself with long strides down the center aisle of the room. Her ponytail flapped at her back. She could feel the heat of her hulking lover not far behind. His manly scent soothed her soul.

Rupert and Catarina were seated at one end of a long table, the other end taken up with a dozen dark angels. Audray noted she knew none of them. The others quickly rose and then seated themselves, adjusting fine silks and chains of silver and gold. All of them avoided Audray’s gaze, so she turned her sights on Catarina and forced a full smile. Neither Catarina nor Rupert had risen, refusing her the respect she usually commanded.

“How pleasant to meet you, finally,” Audray said tersely.

“Likewise,” Catarina’s dark face tilted to the right as she bowed her eyes, but not her head. “Madam Director.”

One of Audray’s eyebrows raised. She grasped Jonas’ hand behind her back as she turned slightly and addressed Rupert. “You have called this meeting, then, Mr. Blade? And I see you have appointed a council. On whose authority?”

Rupert shot to his feet in reflexive action, his mouth open, his eyes wide and wandering, looking between Jonas and Audray and behind them to the dark guards. Audray didn’t want to look, but was certain they had closed ranks and had now blocked the doors.

I never needed a door before. Let them try.
She warmed herself with the vision of one of them with a fiery hole in their abdomen as the others looked on. Jonas squeezed her hand, reading her thoughts. She heard a faint rumble in his chest.

“Actually, I am the one who has requested this meeting.” Phillip, one of the council members and a former staffer for Peter, stood, holding his hands out to the sides under his red cape as if he was Pope. His unsmiling, pious face softly spat out the words, “I received the request, and since you were absent and I was the only remaining former staff member available, I have convened this meeting. I also represent Mr. and Mrs. Blade.”

Audray saw a flicker of discontent in Catarina’s face. Her right eye squinted in a flinch, matching a corresponding quiver at the right of the dark woman’s upper lip. One hand twitched as her fingers splayed out and then lithely settled back to her lap. Rupert sat down, adjusted himself and placed his folded hands on the table in front of him. Audray thought he looked totally outmatched in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

“Fine.” Audray said, addressing Phillip. “Please,” she gestured back to Phillip’s chair, “have a seat and let’s begin.” Audray then sat down, keeping her back ramrod straight, feeling the power and warmth of Jonas standing behind her.

“Mr. Starling. I realize you are not a party to this proceeding. Would you care to stand with the other guards at the side…over…” Phillip began.

“He stays.” Audray interrupted. “Let’s stop this little game and get on with the bigger one.”

Several of the council members then lifted their gaze to her face, one nodding. It was going to be a good show. Audray figured none of them would want to miss a second of it. Phillip remained standing. He opened his mouth to speak, drawing his arms out of the protection of his quivering red cape thoughtfully.

“You may continue, Phillip.” Audray smiled.

Phillip’s eyes flashed with hatred. The edges were tinged with fire.
He’s been playing with the vaporization skill. Well, well, well. Look who wants to be leader?

It took Phillip a minute to compose himself. Everyone else was focused on Audray. She was glad Jonas didn’t extend a hand or do something to show support. It was important for her to exude confidence, strength.

“I have been interviewing the two angels who made it back to the Underworld during the war with Heaven,” Phillip began.

“War with Heaven? Just when did that occur?” Audray snapped back at him. “I was present. There was no war. It was a wipeout.” Audray sneered.

“According to our witnesses, the poor Director was left in an ambush. They were unable to properly defend him because you intervened,” Phillip returned.

“I most certainly did not,” Audray stood and shouted to the whole auditorium. “I saw those deformed angels come down on defenseless humans, breathing fire. It was a completely unprovoked attack, planned by the Director himself. I attempted to come to his aid, in fact I was the one that warned him there could be a fight but he, of course, wouldn’t listen. He was trying to slip the human girl to the transport. That’s when he appointed me, and I’m sure he expected to survive the little altercation or he never would have done it…” she glared at Rupert and Catarina. “He couldn’t wait to get his hands on that little human. He appointed me to replace him in the event he was unsuccessful, so I could seek revenge. I had recently acquired…” Audray shivered thinking about the training she had to go through with the Director, “…the vaporization skill, but had not used it in a real setting. I was a little slow, tried to come to his defense, but the Director was already fried before my fire could throw.”

Audray took a deep breath and continued, now fully composed, “And besides, Father himself is the one who terminated the Director. I saw it with my own eyes. They did too. It wasn’t prudent to get myself killed with no succession in place.” She sat.

One of Jonas’ fingers overhung the chair at her back, touching her without anyone seeing. But he was there. He was proud of her, she could tell.

Thank you, my love.

“And Mr. Starling, this is how it happened?” Phillip asked Jonas.

“Oh, you can’t ask him. He’s been banging her night and day!” Rupert blurted out, earning a scowl from everyone in the room. He looked around at all the angry faces and sat back down.

“Mr. Starling?” Phillip asked, rolling his eyes at Rupert’s outburst.

“Yes, sir. I heard Peter give the appointment. Of course, I couldn’t know about the other part.” Audray could feel Jonas’ lie and his blushing behind her. “The Director and myself were not…familiar…at that time.” His voice wavered but Audray was sure no one else could tell.

“And did you—seek revenge?” Rupert shot at Audray with a sneer.

“I do not have a death wish, Mr. Blade. I spoke with Father. If he’d wanted to, he could have eliminated me as well,” Audray returned. She worked at a cool outer demeanor, but she was gripping the arms of her chair as her red nails dug into the dark wood.

“With all due respect, Madam Director,” Catarina began, her tone sugary and sinister, “it is your word against theirs.” All eyes were on Audray again. Catarina sat back and waited for her response.

“With all due respect, indeed, Mrs. Blade,” Audray strung it out and watched as the label did what a sword could not do, “I’m sure if I removed a body part or two I could get them to change their mind,” Audray said.

There was a collective gasp from the other end of the table. Audray continued, “Or, if I promised them I’d give them back their wings, which it appears they have received,” Audray pointed to the doors outside, where the winged creatures had gone, “I’m sure I could get them to say anything I desired them to.”

One of the younger council members commented, “Phillip, I think that she has a point. No one has ever questioned a sitting Director. Mr. Starling here has verified that succession took place. I see no reason to question his word, but we can call for an election in sixty days.” He looked around at everyone seated at the table. “And perhaps that is the only logical solution.”

“Yes, well, everyone knows the election is always fraudulent. Just a matter of who wants to cheat enough to win,” Rupert added. He looked for approval from his wife and got none.

“I’m for an orderly transition,” Phillip chimed in. Audray saw he was scheming to get himself elected. He saw this as a way to challenge Catarina, probably his biggest rival. He was a smart fox, not very brave or dangerous, but a smart one, she thought.

“I, of course, have no objection.” Audray agreed.

“Well then, I suggest you meet privately with Mr. and Mrs. Blade,” Phillip nodded in their direction but was speaking to Audray, “and see if you can’t settle your differences, which would make an election unnecessary. That, ladies and gentlemen of the Underworld, would be best for all concerned.” Audray knew the councilman realized he stood a better chance negotiating the Directorship with Audray than he did with Catarina or Rupert.

“May I make a request?” Catarina asked, her dark eyebrows raised, pushing delicate folds into her deep forehead.

Phillip nodded. “Please.”

“I think we can resolve this today, and I’d like to request a private meeting with the Director and Mr. Starling, just as soon as we adjourn.”

Phillip looked at the other members of the council, most of whom were nodding their heads. A trickle of sweat ran down Audray’s spine and into the top of her velvet pants.

Damn. Something’s up.

Jonas whispered back, “Careful.”

“I see no reason to deny this little request, but I also caution you, we need to call for an election immediately if this meeting doesn’t come to a satisfactory resolution.” Phillip said.

“I’m sure it will!” Catarina replied, looking at Audray, her eyes sparkling with anticipation like a child in a candy shop. Audray’s stomach began to turn over and she choked down a vomit. Catarina had started to look away, but then sliced a glare into Audray’s face, then lowered her eyes, raking down the big white shirt to Audray’s lap.

She knows, Jonas. I can feel it.

The council waddled from the room. Audray noticed, in addition to the new red cape Phillip wore, two others sported new capes, one in purple and one in a deep copper color. They each had hand stitching and intricate embroidery similar to the Guardian gowns Audray had seen. She wondered if some of the turned Guardians had started a cottage industry.