Mona Lisa Craving

ELEVEN

WITH DANTE’S WORDS, over a hundred swords were suddenly raised up against him. The promise of violence hummed in the air and was reflected in Dante’s silver-blue eyes. All it would take to ignite it would be for him to lift his blade, the sword that was currently gripped loosely in his hand, the sharp tip resting on the ground.

Something flickered in his eyes, and I knew he was going to do it.

There was power in the ground where we stood. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of times before a Queen had called down the moon’s light here, and her people had Basked in the glowing rays. It was a sacred circle of light, of power. Of blood spilled on the ground in practice. Of challenges called and met here.

I’d stood here once, and called down those lunar rays. Drawn down those butterflies of renewing light. And that once had made this place mine. It recognized me, accepted me, embraced me. This place, this clearing, was mine even more than the house where we slept and ate. This was my place of power.

I called upon it now, drew upon it deliberately, and the land answered me, wrapped me up in invisible strands of past and present power. All the authority that was mine, given to me, claimed by me, filled my voice as it rang out sharply in the suddenly still night. “Hold! Stand down, everyone.”

There were times when I felt like I was stumbling around in the dark. As if I had tripped and fallen, and a crown had accidentally tumbled down on top of my head. Oftentimes, I felt as if I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, that I was not worthy. But all that confusion, indecisiveness, and inadequacy fell away. Here and now, in this moment, with the power and authority of this sacred ground thrumming through me, I was Queen as I had never been before. And I knew what was in my men’s heart. Every single one of them, even Dante’s. Especially his.

“Dante.” I held his gaze. Let him see the understanding in my eyes. “It’s not going to work. I’m not going to kill you. Drop the sword.”

A flicker in his eyes—surprise, wariness—as I began to walk toward him. He stood alone. All others had fallen back, encircling us.

“It would be foolish of me to drop my only weapon,” Dante said, his tone easy, reasonable. I was not fooled by it.

“And you are not a foolish man,” I said as I shortened the distance between us. “So why would you reveal yourself like that here in my circle of power, surrounded by over a hundred of my men, all armed? Bad odds, even for you.”

“I was discovered, not revealed.”

“You revealed yourself deliberately,” I corrected. “Why would you do that unless you wanted me to strike you down through my men.”

I turned to fasten my gaze upon my guards, each and every one of them. “No one here is to lift a hand against Dante or his family, or you will be foresworn by me and cast out of my court. That is my command as your Queen.”

As I drew uncomfortably closer to Dante, Dontaine dared speak. “Mona Lisa. My Queen, please—”

“He will not hurt me.”

“How can you say that and believe it?” Dante said, his calm façade dropping away. “I killed you before.”

“If you wanted to hurt me, you could have done so before now. You had ample opportunity.” He hadn’t known me at first, when he had been stricken by the light-craving madness. Only when I had healed him and he had sought me out afterward. When I had lifted my hands up to him in an unconscious gesture to keep him away. He’d seen my moles then.

I stopped before him, unarmed. Sure of him, sure of myself. “If you wish to hurt me, you can do so now and none of my men will stop you.”

He did nothing. A most telling inaction.

“Dante.” My hand reached out slowly to rest upon his hand, the one gripping his sword. “I know what is in your heart. I will not give the order for your death as you intend.”

His hand spasmed beneath my light touch. “You should if you are merciful. It might end the curse. Satisfy it. My life for yours.”

“Or begin it anew. Please, Dante.”

His fingers opened and his sword fell to the ground.

I raised my voice to the others. “Sheathe your swords, men.”

They did as I commanded.

I pulled Dante away from the temptation of his dropped weapon, and he came docilely along, looking confused, baffled. I drew him to his father, who watched us with shattered eyes.

“Milady,” Nolan said, dropping to his knees, his head bent to the ground. “Thank you for your mercy. I had not realized. My family and I will leave here immediately.”

“There is no need to go,” I told Nolan. “And every need to stay.”

“For what possible reason would you want my family and I to stay here with you?” Dante asked. His hand was still clasped in mine, and he gazed down at our joined hands with almost a bewildered blankness.

“For the reason fate crossed our paths once more,” I said. “For a second chance. This time as friends instead of foes.”

Dante dragged his eyes back up to mine. In a low, deep voice, he asked, “Do you remember me?”

“Not clearly, but some part of me does. Enough to be afraid of you,” I said honestly.

“Not as much as you should,” Dante said. But he left his hand in mine.

“We were enemies once, long ago,” I said. “And could have been again. First, when your father and brother snatched me. Then just now, when you made our past known.” And what a past it was. One that had taken place over four million years ago, in another world. But I could not doubt it, not when my soul recognized his.

“We’re different people now,” I told him. “We’ve made different choices. If there is a way to end your curse, I believe that this is the way—to live a different life and not repeat the same mistakes of our past.”

“You have no memories of before, do you?” Dante asked.

“No. Do you?”

“Some. Flashes of it. You may feel differently when you remember.”

“Then I’d rather not” was my reply. “Remember it, that is. Whatever was then, now is a new time, a new life.” I looked at Nolan. “What I offered you before still stands. You and Hannah are welcome to stay here. Your sons also, until they go to seek service with another Queen. My sponsorship still holds, nothing on that has changed. If in the next week you and Hannah decide to seek another position elsewhere, you may do so at the next Service Fair with my full blessing. All I ask is that you stay here for a little while. Give us a try until then.”

Nolan glanced at Dante, and some silent communication passed between father and son.

Nolan nodded. “We’ll stay, milady.”

I felt both relieved and nervous at his agreement. Just a handful of days, I thought, after which time husband and wife would hopefully stay, and the two sons depart. What could happen in that short span of time?