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“Hopes of becoming a Sirun,” Donja interrupted with downcast eyes.
“Yes, it appears you’ve done your homework,” he mumbled moving around the table, inches from her face.
“And what happened to Nara?” Donja asked, praying to buy precious time, for in her mind, she knew what was coming.
He leaned in and sniffed her hair. “The Council tracked the rogue down and beheaded him. Five days later at my father’s insistence, I married Nara, hopeful that she might get pregnant, but since we couldn’t find a blood relative for a transfusion, Lion’s antigens blocked all attempts for us to conceive a child.”
“I found a ring, Donja chimed in, “a gold band with the initials Z.M. on the inside.”
“That was mine, she stole that as well. Let me guess it was in the attic with the pictures.”
“Yes.”
“After I left her, Nara took in the French woman as her caregiver. I bet that old hag constructed this fake attic. She was quite handy with such.”
“But Nara was your wife. Why did you leave her?”
“She insisted and to be honest, I was relieved. She hated all things Iridescent and,” he paused, “she was of no use to me.”
“No use, she was your wife.”
“She couldn’t give me a child and anyway, I had a lover.”
Donja instantly thought of Kevin and though it no longer mattered, she blurted without thinking. “I can see why she insisted, infidelity hurts.”
He chuckled. “Perhaps you’re right because just after I left her, the album and the pictures came up missing. One year later, she cut her wrists after ingesting ten bottles of pills. She died in that bear claw tub in the upstairs bathroom.”
Donja’s hand flew to her mouth.
“She left a note,” he continued, “stating that the baby’s remains as well as those of Lion were inside a trunk, though none was ever found and believe me, I searched that house because two crates of solid gold candelabras and some expensive Spanish silverware which also belonged to the Council, came up missing.”
Donja felt prickles on the nape of her neck.
Oh my God, that wasn’t dirt we found in the trunk.
“There was a locket with a small hand-painted picture of the baby. Did you find it?”
“Yes,” Donja whispered.
“I gave that to Nara. It was the only thing I ever did that she appreciated,” Zaroc said as he stepped toward her. “You’re shivering,” he whispered so close she could feel his breath. She spun and looked up into his dazzling eyes. “Are the candelabras and silverware worth a lot of money?”
“Yes, the candelabras are crafted of solid gold and were used for consort weddings. The silverware was also quite rare and dated back to the Spanish Armada.”
“I can get them for you if you let me go. I promise.”
“Good try, but that’s not going to happen, Donja. You’re the Red Queen, more important than all the gold in Fort Knox.”
“Red Queen, what does that mean?”
He gripped her shoulders and spun her to face the wedding album. “Do you see these women?”
“Yes,” she whispered her heart fluttering.
He bent at the knee, his chin on her shoulder. “Look into their eyes.”
Donja exhaled, his hands tightening, his face so close.
“They’re your blood ancestors,” he breathed softly, his lips to her ear.