Read Online Blood Double by Connie Suttle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Connie Suttle
Tags: Retail
Ads: Link
temper and treated that fool worse than this one did."
"He wanted to give his lover an income so he wouldn't have to pay to keep him in clothing," I muttered, hugging myself. "He wanted that money to go to his lover for no work."
"Because he's a miserly bastard," Flavio agreed.
"And it infuriates me when I see the comesuli taken advantage of. I'm sorry that it has infuriated you as well, Gavin." I turned and stalked into the Queen's bathroom, slamming the door as hard as I could behind me.
Breanne? Flavio's voice floated into my mind.
Yes? I didn't expect it to work. Flavio and I were both surprised.
Adam asked me to tell you that he, Merrill and Kiarra have been called away on assignment. You'll be here for the next few days to attend Council meetings. Contact me through mindspeech if you need anything .
Thank you, Flavio. If you hadn't come, I think Gavin would have hit me.
If he touches you, I would not want to be him when Adam and Merrill learn of it. I must go, now. Hold your head up. For the moment, you are Queen . Flavio's mental voice left me, then. I sighed and set about removing the coronet and changing clothes.
Gavin was gone an hour later when I ventured outside the bathroom. More than thankful that he'd taken his anger elsewhere, I walked out of the Queen's suite and wandered toward the kitchen. I was hungry and dinner had passed long ago.
Their voices came to me minutes before I arrived in the kitchen. They were all chattering away about the five Council seats to be portioned out to the comesuli. I walked in to find Cheedas stirring something vigorously with a whisk. The conversation died among at least eight comesuli. I went to the cold keeper, pulled out a bottle of blood substitute and walked out again. Silence reigned for moments after as I made my way to the Queen's suite.
* * *
"Someday, I'll have to figure out how you get in here. You're too big to fit under the door." The friendly snake was back on my bed when I woke. I stroked his head while he blinked sleepily at me. "Come on, handsome, I have to get up and go face ugly vampires again." I pulled away from him carefully—he'd laid his head on my shoulder to sleep. He'd gotten into bed without waking me, too, and that was extremely unusual. I'd been tired, though, the night before, and facing another meeting only added to the weariness.
* * *
"Is there anything you have planned for today's meeting that isn't scheduled?" Gavin hissed as he grabbed my elbow.
"Probably not, but you and that herd of mates the Queen has should consider taking some of the Casino City tax money to fund the palace and pay her a salary. As of now, she's draining the gold reserves beneath the ice cap to pay for everything. I've looked at the expenses. If things continue as they are, even without taking inflation into consideration, that reserve will be drained in less than two hundred years. While that might not matter to most mortal politicians, it should matter to her, and to you and to the rest of her bunch."
"How would you know what matters to us?" he growled.
"You know, that's probably the most stupid thing you've ever said." I stared into his dark eyes. I knew what he cared about; he cared about Lissa—to distraction. He should be worried that her finances might be in disarray in two hundred years, or that she could be destitute before then. He blinked at me, stunned for a moment. Yes, I knew something about budgeting. For forty years, I'd had to account to someone for every penny spent, and little of that money had been spent on me.
* * *
During the Council meeting the following morning, Gavin had sent mindspeech to Flavio, who brought up the subject during more budget discussions. "It has been brought to my attention that the Queen's resources are being depleted, while she continues to pay for meetings here, and for the staff to take care of us and arrange tours and keep records," Flavio began. "We have not broached this subject for the past twenty-five
"He wanted to give his lover an income so he wouldn't have to pay to keep him in clothing," I muttered, hugging myself. "He wanted that money to go to his lover for no work."
"Because he's a miserly bastard," Flavio agreed.
"And it infuriates me when I see the comesuli taken advantage of. I'm sorry that it has infuriated you as well, Gavin." I turned and stalked into the Queen's bathroom, slamming the door as hard as I could behind me.
Breanne? Flavio's voice floated into my mind.
Yes? I didn't expect it to work. Flavio and I were both surprised.
Adam asked me to tell you that he, Merrill and Kiarra have been called away on assignment. You'll be here for the next few days to attend Council meetings. Contact me through mindspeech if you need anything .
Thank you, Flavio. If you hadn't come, I think Gavin would have hit me.
If he touches you, I would not want to be him when Adam and Merrill learn of it. I must go, now. Hold your head up. For the moment, you are Queen . Flavio's mental voice left me, then. I sighed and set about removing the coronet and changing clothes.
Gavin was gone an hour later when I ventured outside the bathroom. More than thankful that he'd taken his anger elsewhere, I walked out of the Queen's suite and wandered toward the kitchen. I was hungry and dinner had passed long ago.
Their voices came to me minutes before I arrived in the kitchen. They were all chattering away about the five Council seats to be portioned out to the comesuli. I walked in to find Cheedas stirring something vigorously with a whisk. The conversation died among at least eight comesuli. I went to the cold keeper, pulled out a bottle of blood substitute and walked out again. Silence reigned for moments after as I made my way to the Queen's suite.
* * *
"Someday, I'll have to figure out how you get in here. You're too big to fit under the door." The friendly snake was back on my bed when I woke. I stroked his head while he blinked sleepily at me. "Come on, handsome, I have to get up and go face ugly vampires again." I pulled away from him carefully—he'd laid his head on my shoulder to sleep. He'd gotten into bed without waking me, too, and that was extremely unusual. I'd been tired, though, the night before, and facing another meeting only added to the weariness.
* * *
"Is there anything you have planned for today's meeting that isn't scheduled?" Gavin hissed as he grabbed my elbow.
"Probably not, but you and that herd of mates the Queen has should consider taking some of the Casino City tax money to fund the palace and pay her a salary. As of now, she's draining the gold reserves beneath the ice cap to pay for everything. I've looked at the expenses. If things continue as they are, even without taking inflation into consideration, that reserve will be drained in less than two hundred years. While that might not matter to most mortal politicians, it should matter to her, and to you and to the rest of her bunch."
"How would you know what matters to us?" he growled.
"You know, that's probably the most stupid thing you've ever said." I stared into his dark eyes. I knew what he cared about; he cared about Lissa—to distraction. He should be worried that her finances might be in disarray in two hundred years, or that she could be destitute before then. He blinked at me, stunned for a moment. Yes, I knew something about budgeting. For forty years, I'd had to account to someone for every penny spent, and little of that money had been spent on me.
* * *
During the Council meeting the following morning, Gavin had sent mindspeech to Flavio, who brought up the subject during more budget discussions. "It has been brought to my attention that the Queen's resources are being depleted, while she continues to pay for meetings here, and for the staff to take care of us and arrange tours and keep records," Flavio began. "We have not broached this subject for the past twenty-five
Similar Books
