Chapter 10
The banquet was in full swing with everyone dancing, chatting, and eating until the sun fell from the sky and the moon came to join the party. My queen and I danced and talked with everyone but when we got the chance we always joined up with each other. I was happy, content, and at peace with pretty much everything. I was able to touch her without poisoning her. A god send if I ever knew one. Joy was something I wasn't used to. While I was twirling my queen around the dance floor, I noticed something odd. Nil was sitting next to Kyle reading as I thought he might be but the boy next to him was examining him discretely as if trying to find out if something wasn't right. When I informed Mina she merely laughed.
"Kyle's always taken an interest in Nil. They're together most of the time to begin with. He helps out with Nil's work and, in return, Nil listens his chatter. Mr. Withers helps out on both sides but he's still trying to make sure his wife doesn't get the wrong idea about living here. I did know her as a teacher," she answered thinking over the idea.
"So it's puppy love?" I murmured and she took the opportunity to snort.
"It could be but I don't think it is. Nil and Kyle don't seem to fit that way. If they did I would know," she replied stopping with the music. Applause filled the air as Kieran, the Jack of Clubs, stood to accept the gratitude of the people.
"I met him with Erin and she taught me how to dance while I waited for Jack to get back," she told me suddenly reminiscing.
"Would you like me to play for you my queen?" I offered. She started, glancing at me in deep contemplation; she nodded and gestured towards the stage with a variety of instruments on it.
I knew how to play all of them. It was one of the things I was taught during my stay with the Gardener as he taught me how to be the King of Poison. However, I searched for the one that would bring tears to Mina's eyes and a smile to her face. I finally found it behind the other stringed instruments, the Cello. I had played it once before for another queen when she didn't know I existed or what I was. Taking a seat in the overly plush chair in center stage, I rosined the bow and set up my chosen instrument. Taking a deep breath, I began to play. The depth of the tone flitted across the room, touching and teasing everyone's ears. Their movement stopped to take in the sounds I gave, the emotions playing across the waters of music with the grace of a leaf on the water having just fallen from its tree, brightly colored auburn. Memories of my past and who I was and who I am brimmed my conscious as I sat thinking of everything that I could and couldn't do for the queen standing in front of me with her gaze locked on the strings reverberating the utterances of what had been. My mind fell. I let it go into my experiences with the other queens, the first I had met when I was still forming an opinion about everything in itself. She was my first love. I recalled her eyes simmering in the heat of summer watching the yacht boats skim by with parties and people who enjoy themselves as they would enjoy any other earthly pleasure.
She turned to me knowing I watched her. A smile played on her lips as she glided towards me and gently touched my cheek. A breath slowly escaped me as she drew away only to push my head to the side to see the tattoo resting there. A "K" with skull and crossbones in the background shivered at her touch drawing away from her. A new burning sensation tore into my neck but I didn't move. I was entranced by her smile and the depth of her gaze. A breeze danced around us then left without as much as a goodbye. The burning stopped. Her smile widened when she grazed her fingers across the tattoo she had given me.
"You have a message for me," it wasn't a question but I nodded anyway.
"The Gardener would like to see you," I informed her watching her raise an eyebrow and turned back to the waters.
